two families landing in Milan going to Venice for two nights,mid June, then on to villa in tuscany. need ideas.one family w/16 yr.old,one with kids 8 & 13. Take flight to Venice or take train?hotels (3star?)thoughts on rates and thoughts/experience with quad and triples rooms. Kids are champs but good location a key. Gelato a must! ( kids might like some too). Also rates on gondola rides. Great forum, new to site.

Instead of a gondola ride you might like to try a ride in a traghetto for half a euro per person. We had a lot of fun crossing the Grand Canal across to San Samuele on a traghetto. Look in a guide book and you will find the crossings by traghetto marked usually by a dotted line. There are up to 8 of them working daily. Where you see one working, you stand by the side of the canal (there will be a little dock) and they come across the canal to fetch you. A fun way to cross the Grand Canal and a cheap version of a gondola ride. Kids get a big kick out it
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00450/traghetto.htm

Ramo,

I would train from Milano to Venice. One the kids get to see a lot more of the countryside and it is a beautiful ride. Also, you arrive and the Venice Station which is right on the Grand Canal. When you come out of the station you immediately see Venice. It is quite exciting. The airport brings you to another area that is just, well an airport arrival area.

Gondola rides are EXPENSIVE and you would need to negociate the price BEFORE you even get it. Taking the Traghetto would be a much better choice.

Gelato is not hard to find in Italy and Venice is also known for its sweets so you will find a few shops along the way with displays of licorice, candies and the largest merangue cookies I have ever seen!

You can also train to Toscana when you are done and rent a car when you get there in Florence or wherever you are going. When you are done, drop the car back where you got it and train back to Milano.

Should be a great trip!

Buon viaggi!
Doug

I've found quad rooms to be anywhere from tight squeezes to actually, suites (i.e., two bedrooms connected and sharing a bathroom). The Pensione Accademia in Venice had a quad that was a suite. The outer room, had a couch that opened into a bed. The bedroom had the standard king (two beds pushed together).

With our kids, who were younger than yours at the time, we liked staying away from the crowded areas around San Marco (in Dorsoduro for us). Using the Vaporetto, it never took long to get anywhere. You may want to check out our hotel reviews, here.

While the Traghetto is a gondola it's primary purpose is used for crossing the canal, especially for those who live in Venice (and therefore must carry things like groceries home). With a large group, there's no guarantee that you'd even fit on the same one. It is way cheaper than a gondola ride though, which a few years ago ran us $90 for 45 minutes but it's definitely not the same experience. Oh and as I just checked my notes, the limit for the gondola was six people (but luckily they didn't count my little one b/c we were seven).

Lastly, depending where you're travelling to in Tuscany, would determine whether you should pick up the rental in Venice and just drive, or train and pick up the rental. I'm inclined to the former, if only to save money on the train tickets. Though if you're spending time in a major city first (e.g., Florence), then I'd train and pick up the rental car when I was done spending time in the city.

Gelato: Our favorites - really my husbands since I cannot eat diary products from cows - are Mille Voglie in back of the Frari. They also have fabulous soia gelato.
Paolin in Campo San Stefano and Igloo at the entrance to Campo Santa Margherita, if you are coming from San Polo. Some people like Nico on Zatere, but they have no soia at all, rarely do they have more than one flavor of sorbetto - Mille Voglie has green apple, melon and several other flavors - and they are not very pleasant there so we pretty much stick to the three I named above.

Gondola rides: Thre is nothing quite like a gondola ride; you see Venice from the pov from which she was meant to be seen. The motion is a wonderful gentle rocking sensation; it must be like that in the womb. They are expensive; the gondolieri range from talkative, informative and charming, to all business to indifferent and slightly surly. Six people can fit in one gondola. Prices are supposedly set - one rate for a shortr tme and one for a longer; slihgtly more at night, etc., but many people say they have negotiated deals.
The one time we went in a gondola, we were with my sister and her family. We did not try to dicker - we just accepted the price and split the cost. Our gondoliere seemed to have taken a vow of silence, but we all had a wonderful time.
The Hotel Giorgione has family rooms. Amelia at B&B La Corte 1321 has an apartment unit as well as some larger rooms. La Corte, formerly Ca' Bernardi, is in San Polo not far from the Rialto and very near the San Silvestro vaporetto stop. Ruth

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Instead of a gondola ride you might like to try a ride in a traghetto for half a euro per person.

I'm sorry, but I must disagree. I've seen this advice in so many guidebooks and do not understand why a traghetto ride is thought to be a good substitute for a gondola ride. It's not (and I've done both).

IMHO, the traghetto is like a commuter train--you take it to get from one side the Grand Canal to the other side. You take it when your legs won't take you up and over the Rialto Bridge (or the Accademia, or...).

A gondola ride is something completely different. It's a "tourist" thing, but hey--you're a tourist! Enjoy. As Boleksine said,

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there is nothing quite like a gondola ride; you see Venice from the pov from which she was meant to be seen. The motion is a wonderful gentle rocking sensation; it must be like that in the womb.

(Just agree on the price and time of the ride before you set foot in the gondola.)

My advice: if it fits into your budget and you want a gondola ride, do it! Take a bottle of prosecco (and a glass for your gondolier) and HAVE FUN!
Sharon

We were in Venice last summer and there were 9 of us. We had three triples and they were great! We stayed at Locanda Orseolo. They were gracious, helpful and the hotel was a highlight of our trip. It is very close to San Marco (depends on what you want) but we weren't bothered by any noise and it was easy to walk away from the crowds.

My kids loved Venice and we easily found gelato and tbose huge merangue cookies that Doug was talking about. Great candy too!

Enjoy!

Brenda

There are great canal tours by river boat (not quite a gondola and more than a traghetto). The guides tend to be entertainig for all ages and they usually serve prosecco - yum!

Also, the Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace is a good one for kids just because it's elaborate and full of interesting (even weird) facts.

Your hotel should have plenty of information on both of these and be able to book them for you...

If I had written "As well as a gondola ride" instead of "Instead of a gondola ride" you might like to try a ride in a traghetto, would I have caused such consternation?
I would never deny that gondolas are of course the thing to do but in all of my many previous trips to Venice I had never thought of taking a ride on a traghetto and I repeat - I enjoyed it That day (after spending half a euro on the traghetto) I bought a beautiful handbag and sat for an hour inside Quadri Cafe with that particular day's spending money. I think Quadri has actually replaced Lavena Cafe as my favorite. H'mmm, how to get one of those pink, ivory and gold Quadri chairs in my luggage.

I never wanted to ride a gondola and my wife hasn't even hinted any interest we just think it is too in your face touristy.Obviously my parents disagree see 1957 honeymoon trip photo below.It was a good trip I was concieved!

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If I had written "As well as a gondola ride" instead of "Instead of a gondola ride" you might like to try a ride in a traghetto, would I have caused such consternation?

Probably not - my fear of the traghetto falling over. I couldn't balance for my life .

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my fear of the traghetto falling over. I couldn't balance for my life

Kim,
It does take a good sense of balance to stay on your feet. I took this photo in May 2004--I love how this woman is intently reading her newspaper as the traghetto rocks across the Grand Canal.

Robert: I love the photo of your parents in the gondola!
Sharon

Hi Sharon,
I was actually quoting Boleksine too You must enjoy her reports as much as I do.

[/QUOTE] The crossing is fun; I love seeing the buildings from the low perspective that the traghetto, like a gondola, allows. This is how Venice was meant to be seen. [/QUOTE]
and later on that same day...

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We take the Calle del Traghetto back to the water, and wait for the traghetto to complete its crossing and return. Then - once again asked to sit in the stern - we glide across the canal to the San Toma side and walk home for a lunch of cold chicken and sautéed vegetables.

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I love the traghetto, and have learned to turn to face the rear as soon as I get in since it will become the front when the traghetto turns as it starts its journey. Many people are sitting, but I stand, although from time to time, I surreptiously, I hope, hold on to the back of Martin's vest.

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From Ciak's we walk to the traghetto. We are going to the Fortuny Museum to seen the exhibit of photographs taken by and of Fortuny in Egypt in the 1930s. I prefer to stand in the traghetto, but I am asked to sit on the bench seat that runs across the back, and so I comply.
Also,
[QUOTE] As I cross over the bridge on the Rio del Traghetto, ...

She is the one who gave me the idea to mention it If you do a search in the trip reports under traghetto, it turns up 97 interesting references and most are delightful stories by Boleskine all about them. I just love her writing and all of your posts and trip reports too. You have both given me helpful ideas.
Leslie.

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Originally posted by SharonZ:
...I took this photo in May 2004--I love how this woman is intently reading her newspaper as the traghetto rocks across the Grand Canal.

Loved that photo, Sharon! And I certainly admire her sense of nonchalance on the traghetto.

I am in the "awful sense of balance" camp and am not a fan of traghetti. This past trip to Venice, Shannon was going to fine me €5 every time we had to walk or take a vaporetto because I whined so much about taking another traghetto.

It gave my sister vertigo! She had to sit on a bench afterwards and pretend to do a crossword until she recovered. She is 11 yrs older than me. I was scared I would fall in but I want to do it again. I might have to go over and back while my sister watches me though. If I took my boys, 15 and 18, I know it would fun for them. I know that traveling with a family can be very expensive, one of my 6 Italy trips was a 14 week trip visiting friends, rellies and touring when the boys were 18 mths and 4 (we put 13,000ks on the Aunts' car) so this comes under the 'cheap and cheerful' type of suggestion.
Leslie.

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I was actually quoting Boleksine too Smile You must enjoy her reports as much as I do.

Leslie,
Yes, I do enjoy her trip reports--but they always make me jealous!

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Shannon was going to fine me €5 every time we had to walk or take a vaporetto because I whined so much about taking another traghetto.

Colleen: She's a tough tour guide! 5 euro--that's a hefty fine.
Sharon

Will anyone admit to falling? It was foremost in my mind...I even told my son 'if I fall grab the camera!' Thank goodness there are no pictures of me dog paddling in the grand canal.
sandi